National Public Radio has had an iPhone music streaming app called “NPR Music” available for a while now, but it has now expanded its service, bringing the app to iPad for the first time. NPR Music allows users to stream content from more than 100 different NPR stations across the country. It also features music from a variety of different artists.
NPR Music makes content available in one place–including editorial commentary and radio shows from different stations and live-streamed concerts. The app also includes features like AirPlay support, allowing folks to listen using other iOS or Apple devices. NPR Music will also scan through devices’ iTunes playlists and make recommendations of artists and music.
NPR told Fast Company that its push into mobile apps is part of its longer view of staying relevant and attracting new users into the future. As Anya Grundmann of NPR Music pointed out, NPR’s listenership has been increasing, largely because of its outreach into other media: “We would be crazy not to be thinking about what happens if [radio] were to decline. People in their early 20s don’t usually own radios. Our core competency at NPR is audio – and that can transform to multiple platforms.”
